2013 will begin to tell the tale of gators coach Will Muschamp. He inherited a team built for the spread offense. Muschamp wants to be a more physical pound the ball team. This will be his second recruiting class, and HIS type of players, especially offensive line and receivers are going to be key. Florida always has excellent recruiting classes, in 2013, we begin to see how Muschamp can perform with his players.

The final ESPN 300 recruiting rankings were released today. Gator recruits were big movers and shakers.

The biggest movers were running backKelvin Taylor who jumped up to five star status moving into the top ten at #8 overall and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson who jumped up to #53 overall in the country from #118.

Taylor, a Gator legacy and early entry, showed a great all around game during Under Armour All American week practices. He showed he’s a polished running back who can run between the tackles, bounce it outside, block, and make tough catches out of the backfield. He may not be the biggest, fastest, or flashiest running back but he’s solid in every phase of his game and will likely make an impression from day one in Will Muschamp’s offense.

Demarcus Robinson, a recent Gator commitment and early entry as well, stood out as the best all around wide receiver in Army All American game practices. A tall, rangy wide receiver, he showed he’s a polished route runner, possesses good speed, and has great hands. He can go up and fight for the football and is the tall wide receiver the Gators have lacked for many years.

Of course, the cream of the class is shutdown cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III who is #3 on the ESPN 300 list, the highest ranked Gator recruit since Percy Harvin. Hargreaves dominated the Under Armour All American game repeatedly shutting down the nation’s number one ranked wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, covering him like a blanket, batting down passes, and picking one off. The interception was beautiful as he fooled the quarterback on the play disguising his coverage and getting the interception.

Despite claims to the contrary from state Democratic officials, the recall efforts against eight Republican Senators appear to be coordinated by workers from Washington, DC, the MacIver News Service has learned.

“These aren’t being run by national operatives,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate on the statewide UpFront with Mike Gousha television program. “This is not some prefabbed, manufactured effort.”

However the MacIver News Service has obtained a recruitment advertisement which solicited applicants from the Washington, DC area for the positions of “Field Organizers” for the Wisconsin Recalls.

The ad, for the Madison-based “Wisconsin Progress ” organization, was listed on the website of The Brad Traverse Group.

The Traverse site, operated out of Falls Church, Va, bills itself as “the leading resource for anyone seeking a job on Capitol Hill and off the Hill in the fields of government affairs, public affairs and communications.”

Although Tate asserted the recalls were organic and outside interests from Madison and Washington, DC were merely assisting with the efforts, the Wisconsin Progress advertisement says the duties for the positions include, but are not limited to: “Execute a field operation in a targeted state senate district–Manage a volunteer effort to collect recall signatures–Operate and Manage phonebank–Implement mass canvassing operations–Outreach to other progressive organizations to recruit volunteers–Data Management.”

Here is the job listing:

Click image to enlarge.

According to the Wisconsin Progress website, their executive director is Kristen Crowell. In 2006, she became the Political Director for Progressive Majority Wisconsin, working to help train and elect candidates into offices ranging from School Board to State Senate. During her three years with Progressive Majority, she worked directly with over 125 different candidates in over 23 counties.

Kathy Daggs is the group’s political Director. From their website: “Getting her start in politics as an intern for Senator Herb Kohl, she went on to serve as an Eau Claire area volunteer coordinator for then Attorney General Jim Doyle. In 2004, she was named Campaign Director for the 68th district in the Wisconsin Assembly Coordinated Committee.

In 2006, she joined the State Senate Democrats Committee, working as the Campaign Director for now [former] Senator Pat Kreitlow helping to defeat an 18-year incumbent in a top targeted race. Following the 2006 races, she went on to work for Senator Kreitlow in the State Senate, serving as his Chief of Staff for three years. In 2008, she dove back into campaign life as the Deputy General Election Director for Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change in Wisconsin.”

On Upfront this weekend, DPW’s Tate asserted of the recall operatives, “These are average, normal people…”